Finger grip wiper for bowling balls



30, 1943. w HEBER 2,315,054

FINGERGRIP WIPER FOR BOWLING BALLS Filed Oct. 27, 1941' v Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FINGER GRIP WIPER FOR. BOWLING BALLS William E. Heber, Wilmington, Calif.

Application October 27, 1941, Serial No. 416,660

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a fingergrip wiper for bowling balls and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple, inexpensive device that may be advantageously employed to wipe the thumb or finger-receiving opening of a bowling ball. The walls of these openings in a bowling ball and the surfaces on the ball adjacent thereto frequently become moistened from perspiration and sometimes by moisture condensation. Heretofore it has been common practice for bowling alleys to supply towels to wipe the thumb and ,fingerreceiving recesses or openings dry so that they will not slip from the hands of the bowler. This practice, however, is objectionable in that the use of the towels by succeeding players is apt to spread infection, and in some localities there are laws or ordnances prohibiting their use. By means of the present construction each player may be supplied with his individual wiper which will effectively wipe the thumb and finger-receiving opening dry to facilitate play. Spread of infection is reduced in that the wiper is not transmitted from player to player.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein the figure is a vertical section through the finger-grip wiper embodying the present invention, illustrating the wiper as about to be inserted in a thumb or fingerreceiving opening in a bowling ball.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the .finger-grip wiper comprises a vertical stem H) which may be formed of any suitable material and which has thereon a suitable handle II by which the stem may be manipulated. On the stem there is rigidly secured in any suitable manner a disc l2 and below this disc the stem is preferably provided with projecting pins or kerfs l3. Sponge rubber I l or equivalent readily compressible material is molded about and vulcanized on the stem Ill below the disc l2 so as to be firmly secured to the stem. This sponge rubber is of .a diameter somewhat in excess of the diameter of the opening in the ball B.

In the preferred form of construction the rubber M is enclosed in a chamois cover 15 which adjacent its top extends outwardly around the disc 12 to provide a wiping shoulder l6 which will engage the surface of the ball B surrounding the opening 0 or that surface indicated at H. The chamois cover may be cemented, glued, or otherwise attached to the peripheri of the disc l2 or if desired, a suitable clamping ring may detachably secure the cover to the disc.

In order to effect a wiping of the walls of the opening 0 and the surface I! adjacent thereto, the instrument is bodily thrust into the opening and turned therein. As the sponge rubber is somewhat in excess in diameter of the diameter of the opening 0 it must be compressed on insertion with the result that it firmly presses the cover l5 against the walls of the opening to efiect a wiping. When the instrument has been inserted it may be given one or more turns by means of the handle II.,

The length of the handle is preferably somewhat greater than the depth of the opening 0 and the bottom of the stem I 0 terminates short of the bottom of the sponge rubber so that the bottom of the sponge rubber can be compressed in forcing the wiping shoulder 16 into engagement with the surface ll. In this manner the walls of the opening and the edges of the opening can be easily and quickly wiped dry.

When the chamois cover l5 becomes soiled from continued use it may be removed and washed or cleaned and replaced.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that the fingergrip wiper disclosed herein is of relatively simple and durable construction and may be easily and quickly manufactured. It will serve to quickly wipe the interior of the opening which may be either a thumb or finger-receiving opening, and is so designed as to also effectively wipe the surface of the ball adjacent the edges of the opening.

In some instances it may be desired to effectively clean or scour the walls of the opening 0 in which case, the chamois cover [5 may be replaced by emery cloth or the equivalent. When the emery cloth is used and the device is rotated within the opening 0 the walls of the opening will be effectively scoured by the emery.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A fingergrip wiper for bowling balls comprising a stem, means for rotating said stem, a disc on said stem intermediate the ends thereof, a cylindrically shaped mass of compressible sponge rubber surrounding the stem adjacent said disc, said sponge rubber being slightly greater in diameter than the diameter of the finger-receiving recess of a bowling ball, and a cover for said sponge rubber extending around both the sponge rubber and the edge of the disc, the bottom of the stem terminating above the bottom of the sponge rubber and the bottom of the sponge rubber being hemispherically shaped.

WILLIAM E. HEBER. 

